Locomotive stoker



E. A TURNER LOCOIOTI JTOKER Filed July .13, 1929 2,Sheets-.-Sheet l away .M M mix.

E. A. TURNER June 14, 1932.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed July 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented June 14, 19 32 PATENT OFFICE EDWIN ARCHER TURNER; OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO THE STANDARD STOKE].

COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION 01' DELAWARE LOCOMOTIVE STOKEB Application filed July 13, 1929. Serial No. 877,983.

My present invention'relates to locomotive stokers particularly of the scatter feed t pc and has for its main object to carry the uel from the tender and deliver it to the locomotive firebox with a minimum breaking down or pulverizing of the solid or lump fuel in transit, and so conveying the fuel through a fuel feeding conduit system which is free from abrupt curves or sharp angles, or such 30 parts or arrangement of parts as would unnecessarily crush those lumps of fuel which are of the desired size for firing. A further object is the provision of a stoker in which the general organization is flexible to permit ready application to the various sizes and proportions of locomotives and tenders.

A somewhat more specific urpose of my invention isthe provision of an improved stoker in which the fuel is elevated from the forward end of the tender to the firing opening in the backwall of the locomotive firebox through a plurality of flexibly associated conduits in such manner that the main body of the fuel stream may be moved in a con- 20 stant forward and upward direction without any substantial change in its course of flow, the stream of fuel in its delivery from one conduit to the other being free from such forces or pressures as would cause a break-' ing down or crushing of the fuel during its elevation to the point from which it is distributed over the fire. It is another object of the invention to so elevate the fuel through such flexibly associated conduits which provide an enclosed passage for the fuel, such passage being open at its ends only.

To the above and other ends the invention consists in the arrangement of parts and their relation and association one with the other or in combination as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. l is a detail longitudinal, vertical,

central section through the rear portion of a locomotive and the forward end of its tender,

the stoking mechanism being applied thereto and shown in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with some parts broken away; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified relationship of the adjacent ends of the intermediate and forward conduits of the stoker structure.

On the drawings the numeral 10 designates a locomotive having a firebox 11 provided with a rear wall 12 having a firing opening 13 therein which as is customary is located a suflicient distance above the grates 14 to permit the fuel to be scattered over the fire on the grates. The floor or firing deck 15 of the cab 16 extends rearwardly from the firebox backwall and is in substantial alignment with the floor 17 of the tender indicated as a whole b the numeral 18. The tender includes a fue supply bin 19 which is located above the floor 17 which is provided with the usual slide plates 20'by shifting which the fuel may be fed by gravity to the stoker mechanism.

The preferred embodiment of the inven-' tion as illustrated on the drawin s rovides a stoking device including a fuel ee ing conduit system composed of a rear or trough section A fixed to the tender and disposed below the floor 17 thereoffi a forward or elevator conduit section B xed to the locomotive and at its upper end being in communication with the firing opening 13 of the firebox backwall, and an mtermediateconduit 0 extending between the rear and forward conduits and so related with each as to permit the flexibility of parts required between the locomotive and its tender.

- The rear conduit or trou h may be of any suitable construction fixed y sup orted beneath the fuel bin or if preferred forming an integral part thereof. The construction illustrated includes a casing 21 having a rounded bottom and an open top communieating with the fuel bin through an opening which may be closed by the slides 20.

The forward'end of the trough terminates in an extension 22 including a spherical shell 23 which is received in a s herica-l portion of the split connecting mem er 24 carried by the rear tubular section 25 of the intermediate conduit C. The front section 26 of this conduit telescopes with the rear section and carries at its forward end a s hencal ball 2" cooperating with a horizonta 1y spht spheritor conduit.

cal shell 28 formed in the lower portion of the fixed conduit B to form a flexible connection between the two conduits.

In the construction illustrated the front end of the intermediate conduit C is offset from the forward end of the fixed conduit B, their adjacent ends being so related that the fuel passes from the intermediate conduit directly into the lower portion of the- ,fixed conduit. As shown, the forward end of the intermediate conduit is offset immediately above the lower end of the fixed eleva- The fixed elevator conduit B is carried on the locomotive by a bracket 29 which extends rearwardly from the firebox backwall to, and

' "may be secured to the supporting leg or legs J 30ofthe conduit. The upper end of the ,fixedfieonduit opens directly to the firing opening and is adapted to deliver the fuel on to a fuel receiving and distributing plate 31; This plate 31 is a continuation of the floor portion at the upper end of the elevator conduit and may be attached in any suitable manner to the front end of this conduit which is formed by a separable hood or mouth'member 32 which at its rearward face is attached to the main section of the elevator conduit as by bolts through the flanges 33 and 33a, and at its forward face is rigidly secured to the backwall 12 in communication with the firing opening 13 by any suitable fastening means through the laterally extending flanges 34, 34a. The side walls of the hood member flare laterally towards its "forward face to permit sidewlse spreading of the fuel as it is delivered to the receiving and distributing plate.

The plate 31 atits rearward end constitutes'a table over which the fuel is moved by the pressure of the advancing stream onto source of supply by supply pipes as at 38.

Suitable means is provided'for conveying the fuel through'the conduits, and prefer ably, this meansis formed by a three sectional screw conveyor, the two rear sections 39 and 40 being universally connected together at 41 and mounted for rotation respectively within the trough and intermediate conduits A and C, the universal connection 41 between the two screws being disposed in the immediate vicinity of the flexible connection between the two conduits and the screw bein adapted to be driven from its rearward end suitable gearing at 42 through a drive shaft 43 from a motor 44 which,'preferably, is mounted on the tender. The third or forward screw section 45 is mounted in the elevator conduit B and is driven separately from the remaining screw sections at its lower end through suitable gearing at 46 which is connected to the motor by a telescoping drive shaft 47. In the form of construction of Fig. 1, the lower end of the forward screw section 45 is disposed immediately forward of and somewhat below the front end of the intermediate conduit C and the. screw section 40, whereby the main body of the stream of fuel is moved directly forward and upward from one conduit to the other without any substantial change in its direction of flow. In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a modification of' the adjacent ends of the two conduits, the relation being such that a large portion of the fuel will drop by gravity from the front of the intermediate conduit C on to the screw 450 in the elevator conduit B and the remaining portion of the fuel will be fed directly forward and substantially upward on to the screw. Whether all the fuel is dropped by gravity or only a portion of it, or whether all of it is moved directly forward and upward from one conduit to the other, is dependent upon the relation of the adjacent ends of these two conduits and the screws therein, and all of these forms are believed to be within the broader aspects of this invention.

Inoperation the fuel from the bin 19 falls into the trough A and is moved forwardly to the screw 39 past the crusher 48, which may be used to crush those lumps that are larger than suitable size for firing, and through the extension 22 into the intermediate conduit C through which the fuel is moved in a slight elevation by the screw section 40 and delivered in loose form directly on to the forward screw section 45 at the lower portion of the elevator conduit B, the forward screw 45 then elevating the fuel in a substantially straight line to thefiring opening 13 where it is received b the plate 31 and urged for ward by the a vancing stream of fuel on to the pressure fluid blast and distributing plate which blast acts to scatter the fuel over the'fire in aerial paths.

The tubular conduit C joins the trough A at such a slight inclination that there is a minimum of grinding or pulverizing as the fuel passes from one to the other and at the same time the stream of fuel is given a slight inclination and moved forwardly and upwardly to the elevator conduit. The adjacent. ends of the intermediate and elevator conduits C and B in the preferred form of the invention are so related and associated that the'main" body of the fuel stream is moved in a constant forward and upward direction from the front'end of the trough A to the firing opening 13 without any substantial change inits course of flow. The absence of a universal omt between the intermediate and forward screw sections 40 and 45 and which would necessarily operate through a considerable angle eliminates objectionable grindin and thefuel. is delivered from the one con uit to the other without any pressure being applied to it that would cause a breaking down of the lumps in the passage of the stream of fuel.

The intermediate and fixed forward elevator conduits provide an enclosed passage Way for the fuel from the front end of the trough A to the firin opening 13, the only outlet for the passageieing at the upper end of the fixed elevator conduit where the passage opens into the firing opening. This enclosed construction prevents the loss of fuel caused by strong winds sweeping by the conduits when of open construction, or the loss which would take place due to the suction created by the locomotive when operating in fast service.

The general organization ofthe feeding conduit system is such that it provides the flexibility necessary between the locomotive and the tender and the arrangement of the parts such that very little spgace is occupied by the fixed elevator conduit within the cab and furthermore, all moving or swinging parts are below the cab floor.

It is believed that various changes may be made in the size and proportion of the parts without departing from the invention as it is defined in the combinations of elements in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a lcomotive having a firebox provided with a firing opening, a

tender for said locomotive having a fuel bin,

a fuel feeding conduit system comprising a trough fixed on said tender in open communication with the fuel bin to receive fuel therefrom, a' forward single tubular conduit secrectly into the lower portion of said firing opening, and an intermediate conduit universally secured at its rearward end to said trough in end to end relation therewith and having its forward end flexibly mounted with and being in direct communication with the lower portion of said forward conduit 'sec-' tion, the front end of the intermedite conduit being offset from and immediately above the lower end of the forward conduit section, a conveying means within said feeding conduit system comprising jointed rear and intermediate sections and a forward separate section, the intermediate conduit being inclined upwardly from the front end of the trough and the forward conduit being inclined upwardly with respect to the intermediate conduit, and means at the upper end of the forward conduit for receiving the fuel therefrom and scattering it over the fire in aerial paths.

2. In combination, a locomotive having a firebox provided with a firing opening, a

tender for said locomotive having a fuel bin, a fuel feeding conduit systemcomprising a trough fixed on said tender in open communication with the fuel bin to receive fuel therefrom, a forward single tubular conduit section fixed on the locomotive and being open at its upper forward end to deliver fuel directly into the lower portion of said firing opening and an intermediate telescoping conduit universally connected at its rearward end to said trou h in end to end relation therewith and its orward end flexibly attached to and being in direct communication with the lower portion of said forward conduit section, the front end of the intermediate conduit being offset from and immediately above the lower end of the forward conduit section, a conveying means within said feeding conduit system comprising jointed rear and intermediate sections and a forward separate section, the intermediate conduit being inclined upwardly from the front end of the trough and the forward conduit being inclined upwardly with respect to the intermediate conduit, said conduits providing an enclosed passage from the front end of the trough to the firing opening and being open only at its ends, the upper end communicating directly with the lower portion of the firing opening, and means at the upper end of the passage for receiving the fuel and distributing it over the fire in aerial paths.

3. In combination, a locomotive having a firebox backwall provided with a firing opening, a tender for said locomotive having a fuel bin, a fuel feeding conduit system comprising a trough fixed on said tender in open communication with the fuel bin to receive fuel therefrom, a forward single tubular conduit section fixed to the 'backwall of said locomotive and being open at its upper forward end to deliver fuel directly into the lower portion of said firing opening, and an intermediate conduit flexibly secured at its rearward end to said trough in end to end relation therewith and its forward end flexibly mounted on and in communication with the lower portion of said forward conduit section, the front end of the intermediate conduit being offset from and immediately above the lower end of the forward conduit section, a conveying means within said feeding conduit system comprising a two section screw and a forward separate section, the two section screw mounted in the trough and intermediate conduit-section and having its sections universally jointed together and adapted to be driven from the rearward end thereof and the forward separate screw section mounted separately from the two sec'-. tion screw within the forward conduit section, the fuel being conveyed through the trough and intermediate conduit by the two section screw and delivered in loose form free from crushing pressure directly on to got said separate screw section at the lower portion of the forward conduit, said separate screw section elevating the fuel in a straight line to the firing open ng, and means within the firing opening at the upper end of the forward conduit for receiving and distributing the fuel over the fire in aerial paths.

4. In combination, a locomotive having a.

. firebox including a backwall provided with a firing opening and a firing deck extending rearwardly from the backwall, a tender behind the locomotive includin a fuel bin and .a mechanical stoker comprising a trough fixed to the tender below the floor thereof and in open communication with the bin to receive fuel therefrom, a telescoping tubular conduit flexibly connected to and communicating with the front end of the trough in end to end relation therewith, and extending upwardly and forwardly to a point below and adjacent to the rear end of said firing deck, a second tubular conduit fixed to the locomotive backwall and being. open at its upper forward end to deliver fuel directly to the lower portion of said firing opening and at its lower portion flexibly connected to and communicatively associated with the front end of the first conduit, the front end of the jointed to. the rear section in the immediate vicinity of the flexible connection between the trough and the telescoping conduit, and the forward screw section separated from the rearward section and revolubly mounted within the second tubular conduit and adapted to be driven from its lower end, the

lower endof said forward screw section located immediately below the front end of the first conduit and so related that fuel is delivered from the first conduit in loose form directly on to the forward screw section in the lower portion of the second conduit, the forward screw section elevating the fuel throughothe second conduit in a straight line to said 'firing'opening, and means for 'scattering the fuel from said distributor plate in aerial paths over the fire.

5. In combination, a locomotive having a firebox provided with a firing opening, a tender for said locomotive having a fuel bin, a

fuel feeding conduit system comprising a rearward conduit portion on said tender in open communication with the fuel bin to receive fuel therefrom, a forward single tubular conduit portion fixed to the locomotive and being open at its upper forward end to deliver fuel directly into the lower portion of said firing opening, and anintermediate conduit portion at its rear end being in end to end relation with the forward end of said rearward conduit portion and having its forward end flexibly mounted with and being in direct communication with the lower part of said forward conduit portion, the front end of theintermediate conduit portion being offset from and'immediately above the lower end of said forward conduit portion, a conveying means within said feeding conduit system comprisingfjointedrear and intermediate. sections and aforward separate section, the intermediate conduit portion being inclined upwardly from the. front end of the rearward conduit portion and the forward conduit portion being inclined upwardly from the intermediate" portion, and means at the upper end of the forward conduit portion for receiving fuel therefrom andscattering' it over the fire in aerial paths. J

6. In combination, a locomotive having a firebox provided with a firing opening, a tender for said locomotive having a fuel bin, a

fuel feeding conduit system comprising a troughfixed'on said tender in open communication with the fuel bin to receive fuel therefrom, a forward'single tubular conduit section fixed to the locomotive and being open at its upper forward end to deliver fuel directly into the lower portion of'said firing opening, and an intermediate conduit universally securedat its rearward end to said trough in end to end relation therewith and having its forward end flexibly mounted with and being in direct communication with the lower portion of said forward conduit section, the, front end of the intermediate conduit being offset from and immediately above the lower end of the forward conduit section, a conveying means within said feeding conduitsystem including a rear section and a forward separate section, the intermediate conduit bein inclined upwardly from the front end of t e trough and the forward conduit being inclined upwardly with respect to' the intermediate conduit, and means at the upperend of the forward conduit for receiving the fuel therefrom and scattering it over the fire in aerial paths In testimony whereof I afiix'my signature.

EDWIN ARCHER TURNER. 

